# Which Used Cars Pass Their MOT Most Often? UK Data, 5.7m Tests

Published 29 September 2026, updated 10 October 2026. CarCheckUp guide: https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/which-used-cars-pass-their-mot-most-often-uk-data/

> Which used cars pass their MOT most often? UK data from 5.7m MOT tests: pass rates, advisories, mileage anomalies and write-offs by model.

Which used cars pass their MOT most often, which pick up the most advisories, and which are most likely to have a hidden history? We looked at the full MOT histories of **491,789 vehicles** checked on CarCheckUp, **5.7 million MOT test results** in all, and at **4,390 full vehicle history checks**. Here is what the data shows. Every figure comes from our [UK Used Car Risk Report](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/), where you can sort every table yourself.

*A note before the rankings: an MOT pass rate is not the whole story of how reliable a car is. It reflects how old the cars are, how hard they have been driven and how well they have been maintained, as well as the model. Newer and lower-mileage cars tend to score better.*

## Across all 491,789 vehicles

- **77%** of MOT tests were passed, retests included.
- The average test recorded **1.5 advisories**: defects that are not yet a failure.
- **5.8%** of vehicles have a mileage anomaly: an MOT reading lower than an earlier one.
- The most common failure area is lights and indicators, followed by suspension, brakes and tyres.

## Popular models with the highest MOT pass rates

1. [MINI Countryman](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/MINI/COUNTRYMAN/): 87% of tests passed
2. [Land Rover Range Rover Evoque](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/LAND%20ROVER/RANGE%20ROVER%20EVOQUE/): 85%
3. [MINI Cooper S](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/MINI/COOPER%20S/): 85%
4. [MINI Cooper](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/MINI/COOPER/): 84%
5. [Volvo XC60](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/VOLVO/XC60/): 83%

## Popular models with the lowest MOT pass rates

1. [Renault Trafic](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/RENAULT/TRAFIC/): 70%, with suspension the most common failure area
2. [Renault Megane](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/RENAULT/MEGANE/): 71%
3. [Renault Clio](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/RENAULT/CLIO/): 71%
4. [Ford Transit](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/FORD/TRANSIT/): 71%
5. [Peugeot Partner](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/PEUGEOT/PARTNER/): 72%

Vans such as the Trafic, Transit and Partner work hard and cover high mileages, which shows up at the MOT. See all 59 popular models in the [MOT pass rate table](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/#mot-pass-rates).

## Which cars collect the most MOT advisories?

Advisories are the early warnings: tyres near the limit, a corroding brake pipe, a small oil leak. The [Ford Transit](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/FORD/TRANSIT/) averages 2.2 advisories per test and the [Mercedes-Benz Sprinter](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/MERCEDES-BENZ/SPRINTER/) 2.0; among cars, the [Fiat Punto](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/FIAT/PUNTO/) has the most at 1.8. At the other end, the [Toyota Prius](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/TOYOTA/PRIUS/) averages 0.8. Read what they mean in our [guide to MOT advisories](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/mot-advisories-explained-what-they-mean-for-a-used-car/), or see the [full advisory ranking](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/#mot-advisories).

## Where mileage anomalies turn up most

The [Fiat Ducato](https://carcheckup.co.uk/free-car-check/makes/FIAT/DUCATO/) (often a motorhome base) has the highest share of vehicles with a mileage anomaly at 13.5%, followed by the Fiat Punto (11.7%) and Ford Transit (11.6%). A mileage anomaly is a reason to ask questions, not proof of clocking: typing errors at the test centre and replaced instrument clusters cause many of them. The [mileage anomaly check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/mot-history-mileage-check) in our full report goes through the readings for any car, and the [ranking](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/#mileage-anomalies) covers all 59 models.

## Which popular models most often have a write-off record?

Among popular models with at least 30 full reports, the Audi A3 (27.6% of 76 checked), Audi A4 (27.1% of 48) and Volkswagen Polo (24.1% of 54) most often had an insurance write-off record, mostly Cat N and Cat S. These are small groups, so treat them as a pointer rather than a verdict; the [write-off table](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/#write-offs-by-model) shows each category. A [write-off check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/written-off-vehicle-check) tells you where a particular car stands.

## Newer cars: the finance trap

56.7% of cars under three years old checked with a full report still had outstanding finance recorded, against 0.4% of cars 16 years and older. If you are buying a nearly new car privately, an [outstanding finance check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/outstanding-finance-check) matters more than anything else.

## Check the car you are looking at

Model averages can't tell you about one car. Run a [free car check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/) for its MOT history and mileage, then a full car history check for finance, write-off and stolen records before you pay.

*Data: DVSA MOT histories of vehicles checked on CarCheckUp since March 2023, and CarCheckUp full vehicle history reports, to September 2026. Method and limitations in the [full report](https://carcheckup.co.uk/research/uk-used-car-risk-report/). MOT data contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.*